I take a deep breath before continuing. “I know it was stupid to stay, but by that time, I was completely dependent on him. I lived with him. I had no job because he made me quit. Since I didn’t report the first one, he said I would go down with him if he ever got caught. And he started threatening me and my family’s lives.”
His muscles tense. “Please tell me he’s dead or in prison.”
I swallow, then blow out a steady breath. “Well, funnyyou should say that… He’s in prison. And I have to help keep him there.”
Ian’s fingers loosen in my hair, his warm palm resting with a comforting weight on the side of my head as he comes to the right conclusion. “You’re in Witness Protection.”
“I am,” I whisper into the dark since we never turned on a lamp, and the sun has almost fully set.
“When’s the trial?”
I shrug as best as I can, squished against his side. “I don’t know yet. In December, they told me I might not have to testify. But in March, one of the other witnesses went missing, so I’m back on the roster.” My attempt at a lame joke sounds bitter in the emotionally charged energy circling around us.
My growling stomach interrupts the moment.
Ian’s hand trails down my back and settles on my hip. “Did you eat dinner?”
“No, I haven’t eaten since I had a muffin at, like, eleven.”
He pats my hip twice. “Let’s get up. I’ll order us some food, and we can finish this conversation.”
I push myself up, but leave my hand on his chest as I search his face. All I find looking up at me is care and concern. There’s nothing that makes me feel any less than I always do around him—protected, cared for.
“You still want to be with me after hearing all this? Though you haven’t heard the worst of it yet.”
Ian’s hand raises and pushes hair behind my ear. “Mags, I wasn’t lying when I said nothing can make me feel any differently about you. Even when you ripped my heart out, I still wanted you.”
I wince at the reminder of what I did. “I’m sorry, Ian. I can’t say it enough.”
He sits up so his face is inches from mine. His palms go to my cheeks. “I wasn’t saying that to make you feel bad. I needed a wake-up call to stop letting what happened when I was younger consume me. I just hope you don’t let what happened to you affect you like it did me.”
My feelings for this man overwhelm me as I lunge toward him and wrap my arms around his neck. The second our lips meet, our tongues immediately start comforting and teasing each other. The cautious mix of relief and happiness flows through my body from head to toe.
His arms go around my waist and pull me to straddle him. When we’re both breathless, we break apart, and he smooths my hair away from my face.
“Let’s feed you before I rip your clothes off.”
I pout and rock my hips. He groans.
“I think we should actually do this,” I coax as neediness takes over.
He gives me one last quick kiss and smacks my ass lightly. “Later. I promise.”
Sighing, I push off him and watch his thick, muscular body climb gracefully off the bed. It’s impressive how easily he moves for someone of his size. I preen when he adjusts himself. I’ve never been with anyone who makes me feel like the attraction is completely mutual. I’ve always been made to feel that I should just be glad that someone wanted to be with me. I assumed it was because I was too short or too curvy or not pretty enough. But being with Ian, it’s made me realize it wasn’t me at all—it was them. There’s nothing wrong with me. I just needed to be with the right person.
My eyes water as my body fights the aftermath of the extreme contradiction of emotions I’ve gone through in the last hour. I swipe at my cheeks as I walk down the hall ahead of Ian, and he follows me into the kitchen.
“Do you want some coffee?” he asks as he steps over to the coffeemaker.
“Sure. Everything is…” I start to point to the cabinet, but trail off when he opens the correct cupboard and pulls all the supplies down.
He turns and smiles at me. “Some things you don’t forget, like how to make your girl’s life source. Very critical knowledge to have.”
I bite my lip as my cheeks heat. Hearing him call mehis girlhas my heart trying to skitter out of my chest.
Ian pulls out his phone and presses the screen a few times before tossing it to me. “Pick what you want to eat.”
I scroll through the food delivery app for a few minutes before deciding. As I’m entering my order, a text notification pops up on the screen.
